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The Walabot DIY is a sensor device that works with your smartphone to show you what’s inside a wall, such as electrical wires and pipes.

Over at the ToolGuyd forum, David put in a request for a review of the Walabot DIY, which I hadn’t heard about until he mentioned it. Looking in my inbox, Brad also asked about the Walabot DIY a few months ago, but it fell off my radar.

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While the idea looks reasonable and practical, the Walqbot DIY is something I would never buy. Why? Because it’s too expensive for what it is, and too limiting.

The Walabot DIY is $199 “on sale,” with a crossed-out price of $249. Here are some tools from professional power tool brands:

So for a little more money ($206 for the Bosch on sale, $225 for the Dewalt, $249 for Milwaukee), you get a standalone and fully featured wall scanner.

There are also plenty of less expensive stud finders and sensors that can handle lighter user demands.

The Walabot DIY can only work with Android phones, except for the Samsung Note 7 (recalled) and LG G4, running Android 5.0 and up. Language on the website suggests that an iOS-compatible device and app are in development.

There are a couple of images, some videos, some energetic text boxes, and that’s it.

Walabot also makes development kits that they say can be used to develop apps for range measurement, breathing monitoring, people tracking, depth and distance measuring, speed sensing (baseball speedometer),car and bike radar system, and other related multi-radar sensor applications.

The Walabot DIY looks flashy, but I don’t see much substance.

There’s been lots of TV publicity, a few reviews, and some questionable “reviews” that look to be uniformed or paid for.

13 Comments

I agreed with this assessment. Smartphone attachment replacement for dedicated device are horrible idea in general unless there is a significant cost saving over the cost of the standalone device. This is true for several reasons:

Smartphone are unreliable. It doesn’t matter how much we love them. There will be time they will be finicky. It’s because they are doing so much more.

The only advantage to device like this over stand alone device is that the app can be updated. On the surface that look like an advantage. In reality it’s a major nuisance and drawback for the consumer. It’s because most of the time the app update will bring new “features” and new bugs. The user interface can change or thing will break at the most unfortunate time. How would you feel if the app you use last week now spot a new “revamped” UI. It’s annoying to having to learn to use your device again just for a simple job. If there is a defect on the software with a dedicated device, the manufacture are force to do a recall. In this case they can just do an update so standalone device require much more extensive testing.

The app can break between major OS release. So once you upgrade to a new phone, that app that you love might not work anymore rendering the attachment useless. This is until the device maker decide to release an updates.

App permission for device like this are usually much more inclusive than they needed to be. Because it’s easier to write app that way unless they have a dedicate mobile software development team with extensive experience. They usually don’t because of fiscal reason. While the app itself might not be malicious, the possibility is there. I would be wary if a simple wall scanner have access to all the data on my mobile device. I am not saying this is the case with this device, but this is a typical trend that I have seen.

In short, any hardware device that require a smart phone to operate are a horrible idea 9 out of 10. So please think twice before picking up any expensive smartphone attachment that try to replace a standalone device.

Now smartphone companion app that extend the usefulness of a device such as the One Key app are excellent idea. This is because the device will still work if the app break, and break it will.

A thermal imaging camera requires IR-transparent line of sight to pick up IR radiation. When measuring temperatures on a wall from objects within that wall, you’re still measuring the heat of the wall’s outer surface, not what’s beneath.

Flir for Android, I have one and love it, it takes a bit to get used to how the different types of images to under stand what is going on but it is great. We just went through a major reno after a flood and i was able to see cool spots / warm spots after they put in the insulation but before the dry wall so we could add to warm spots. i was also to see the leaks around my doors, before they were replaced. oh yea you can see critters at night too LOL

I work on two places that don’t have regular drywall. Both are older construction with add ons and some combinations of things, including a layer of drywall over plaster, etc. I was using a Zircon metal detector not found in the stores as my best studfinder, better than nothing and better than the other Zircons which were worthless to me, but then I found the Franklin sensor. It has been a godsend. At Costco for under $30 on sale.https://www.amazon.com/ProSensor-710-Franklin-Sensors-Precision/dp/B0064EICKG/

Much better than anything else in the under $50 range. It always finds what I need. Very easy to use.

It’s a good idea but not a great idea. I would have thought a better docking arrangement between the 2 would have been a priority. Software with a free license for creative programmers to get some alternative software out there.

I hate to be a wet rag, but this is all speculative BS. Has nobody used it? PJ Williams? Criticizing a tool because you think the software might not be stable is worthless speculation. Disappointing. It’s now on Amazon around $85. I’d like to know if it will work to detect pipes, wires, and non-standard stud placement in a wall without tearing it out.